1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to: an image processing apparatus that performs processing of an image acquired by using a microscope; a microscope system; an image processing method; and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, in observation of specimens using microscopes, various staining techniques and observation method are selected for use, according to targets to be observed or observation purposes. For example, as morphological observation staining for observing morphology of tissue and cells, non-fluorescent staining such as hematoxylin and eosin staining (hereinafter, referred to as “HE staining”) using two dyes, which are hematoxylin and eosin, and Papanicolaou staining (Pap staining) are known. With respect to a specimen subjected to such morphological observation staining, bright field observation using transmitted-light illumination is usually performed in an optical microscope.
Further, for pathological observation, for example, in order to supplement morphological diagnosis based on morphology information, a molecular and pathological examination is performed in some cases, which subjects a specimen to molecule target staining for checking expression of molecular information and diagnoses functional abnormality such as abnormality in expression of a target molecule (a particular gene or protein). In this case, for example, fluorescent labeling (staining) is performed on the specimen by an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method, an immunocytochemistry (ICC) method, an in situ hybridization (ISH) method, or the like, and fluorescence observation by epi-illumination is performed, or bright field observation by performing enzyme labeling is performed.
As a technique related to observation, a method, in which the number of principal components is reduced by repeating a method combined of principal component analysis and multivariate curve resolution to remove noises in a microscope image, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application publication No. 2010-257025, for example.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application publication No. 2010-286565, a fluorescence observation apparatus is disclosed, which graphically displays, for a plurality of images acquired based on laser light beams of wavelengths different from one another, luminance distributions, for example, as data corresponding to observation regions specified in the images.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application publication No. 2011-2341, a microscope system is disclosed, which acquires a plurality of specimen region section images acquired by imaging respective portions of a specimen region while moving, on an XY-plane, an electrically driven stage on which a specimen multiply stained by a plurality of staining dyes.